Then she stepped back, one step at a time, retreating out of the office.
The entire time, Soyo's eyes stayed locked on the two people inside.
On Sakiko, pressed against the desk.
On Seiji, wearing that infuriating smile.
"…I'm sorry."
Her lips trembled as she whispered the words.
Then she turned and fled, as if running for her life.
Click.
At the exact moment the door closed, Soyo heard a dull thud from inside, flesh hitting wood, followed by Sakiko's muffled groan.
…
Outside the corridor.
Soyo gulped down air, one breath after another. Cold sweat soaked through the back of her school uniform, her face drained of color.
At that moment, a figure appeared around the corner.
Rie Nagasaki.
"Soyo? There you are!"
Seeing that her daughter hadn't gone inside, relief spread across Rie's face. "Mom forgot to charge her phone, sorry about that. Did you bring the lunch?"
"Mom…"
Soyo snapped her head up.
Fear hid in her eyes, but she forced a smile onto her face. The performance was flawless, Rie noticed nothing.
"Well… I didn't bring it."
She hid the lunch bag behind her back, doing her best to sound calm. "I just remembered… I left it in the taxi. I'm sorry, Mom."
"Huh? It's fine if you forgot it." Rie laughed gently. "Then let's eat out. The president is busy anyway, we shouldn't disturb him."
"The president?"
Soyo played dumb, suppressing the urge to cry. She patted her chest in exaggerated relief. "Good thing I didn't go in, that would've been rude."
As she spoke, she hooked her arm through her mother's and tugged her away from that door.
"Let's go, Mom… I want pasta from that place!"
"Hey, slow down. It's hard to walk in heels," Rie said, stumbling slightly, her expression full of fond exasperation.
"Sorry, Mom… I'm just really hungry," Soyo replied without turning back. There was a faint catch in her voice.
She didn't dare look back.
That door felt like a gaping maw, ready to swallow her whole.
Just as they reached the corner—
"Ah—!"
A high, breathy cry pierced through the office door and spilled into the hallway.
Both of them froze.
Rie paused, instinctively turning to look toward the office. As an adult, she knew exactly what that sound meant.
"This…"
Her expression shifted, a trace of awkwardness flashing across her eyes.
"Mom!"
Soyo suddenly raised her voice, acting as if she hadn't heard a thing. "The elevator's here! Hurry, if we're late we'll have to wait in line!"
"Soyo…"
Rie hesitated, but out of instinct to protect her daughter, she didn't press further. "All right, all right, let's go."
Still, as the elevator doors closed, she murmured softly, "Looks like… the president really is under a lot of pressure. That kind of release… maybe it's common among powerful people."
Those words landed like the final straw on Soyo's nerves.
Release.
Yes. That man was venting.
Using her friend, on her mother's desk, as his so-called "release."
Soyo lowered her head. Her stomach twisted so violently she wanted to vomit, but in front of her mother, she forced herself to stand straight and continue playing the role of the innocent, well-behaved daughter.
…
General Manager's Office.
Sakiko's body arched back like a bowstring snapping, then collapsed heavily onto the black desk.
"Not bad at all."
Seiji leisurely adjusted his shirt cuffs, clearly pleased.
In stark contrast was the girl sprawled on the desk.
Sakiko was completely limp.
Her office uniform was wrinkled, her skirt torn. Exposed skin was covered in fingerprints and red marks, the punishment he'd left behind after Soyo left, for Sakiko's "distraction."
"You reacted pretty strongly just now."
He chuckled, his words disgusting to hear.
Reaching out, he pinched her chin and forced her head up.
"Especially when your dear friend closed the door herself." His fingers brushed over her trembling lips, his tone mocking and cruel. "What? Did being caught by a friend make it more exciting?"
His words pierced straight into her heart.
Her lowered lashes trembled violently.
"Enough. I won't tease you anymore."
He laughed softly, released her, pulled a few tissues from the box, and placed them on her body.
"Clean yourself up."
The command was short and cold.
"There's a meeting in forty minutes. Go wash up."
Gritting her teeth, enduring the soreness in her waist, Sakiko slowly pushed herself upright.
…
…
An Italian restaurant in Shibuya.
"Soyo, why aren't you eating? Isn't this your favorite pasta?"
The plate in front of her was barely touched.
"I… I'm not hungry."
She set down her fork and downed a large gulp of ice water, trying to suppress the nausea rising in her throat.
Rie sighed helplessly, then excitedly took out her phone. "Oh, right, the secretary just messaged me. The president was very satisfied with this inspection! Especially the office. He said it had great taste and was very practical."
Clink.
The glass hit the table.
"Very… practical?" Soyo's voice trembled.
"Yes." Rie was lost in the joy of being praised. "He even said there's a multinational meeting tonight and he might use that office. Looks like the desk I chose really was a good one."
Soyo felt like she couldn't breathe.
Practical.
Of course it was.
That desk was wide and sturdy, practically made for that kind of thing.
And her mother knew nothing. She was even proud of it.
Looking at her mother's happy smile, a wave of despair surged through Soyo.
"Mom."
She interrupted suddenly, her eyes unusually firm. "Tonight… can you not go to the office?"
"Why? This is a task the president personally assigned."
"I don't want you to go," Soyo said stubbornly. "That president… I don't think he's a good person."
Rie frowned, her expression turning serious. "Soyo, don't say things like that. President Fujiwara is our family's benefactor. Without him, I might not even have a job like this. This is how the workplace is. Don't bring schoolyard thinking into the adult world."
Seeing her mother's expression, Soyo knew she couldn't persuade her.
"I understand…"
She lowered her head.
If she couldn't change her mother's mind, then she would deal with the source instead.
…
…
Evening.
Outside the Genesis Medical Media building.
Night fell.
Soyo stood alone in the shadows across the street, waiting the entire afternoon.
She stared at the brightly lit building, like a monster that devoured hearts.
Finally.
A familiar man walked out of the lobby.
Seiji Fujiwara.
Behind him was Sakiko Toyokawa.
She had changed into a brand-new secretary suit, head lowered, following step by step.
Soyo took a deep breath and stepped out of the shadows.
"Sakiko."
Both of them stopped.
Sakiko slowly raised her head. The instant she saw Soyo, her face went pale. Her fingers curled unconsciously, nails digging into her palm.
"So… Soyo? Why are you still here…" She spoke evasively.
Seiji smiled.
He looked at Soyo walking toward them, a glint of appreciation in his eyes.
Soyo really was a rare beauty.
"Since you're here, why don't you have a proper talk?"
He turned and gave Sakiko's back a push. "Go catch up with your good friend. I'll wait in the parking lot."
With that, he turned and left.
Sakiko staggered a couple of steps, forced to stop in front of Soyo.
They stood less than a meter apart.
At that distance, Soyo felt like she could smell Seiji's lingering scent on Sakiko.
But it was just her imagination.
The scene from the office at noon was burned too deeply into her memory.
"Sakiko…"
Tears welled up as Soyo looked at her disheveled old friend. "Tell me why. At noon… that was forced, right?"
She was making excuses for Sakiko, and for herself.
If Sakiko just said yes, if she said, "Help me," Soyo would do anything to save her.
Sakiko looked into those hopeful eyes, her heart twisting like a knife.
But she couldn't drag Soyo down with her.
The only way was to make her give up, to make her hate her.
Sakiko took a deep breath, forcing down the ache in her chest.
She straightened her back and sneered. "Soyo, you're too naive."
Her voice turned cold as ice. "No one forced me. I did it willingly."
"W-What?" Soyo stared at her in disbelief.
"I said I did it willingly."
Sakiko repeated it, looking at her with indifference. "The Toyokawa Family went bankrupt. I need money. A lot of it. And President Fujiwara… he can give me all that."
"No… that's impossible… you're such a proud person…"
"Can pride put food on the table?"
She laughed coldly, full of self-mockery. "Soyo, don't judge me by those childish values. I enjoy my life now. Money, status. All I have to do is pay a small physical price. That's a good deal, isn't it?"
"A good deal?"
Soyo repeated the words, feeling the blood in her body turn cold.
"That's right."
Sakiko turned away, refusing to look at those wounded eyes.
"So stop looking for me. And stop playing savior. It's embarrassing."
With that, she strode toward the parking lot, her movements decisive, without a shred of hesitation.
From a distance, Seiji watched the scene with interest.
Bang.
The car door slammed shut and sped off into the night.
Soyo stood alone in the cold wind.
Her fists clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palms, yet she felt no pain.
Willingly? For money? A good deal?
"Liar…"
She whispered.
She remembered the moment she opened the door that afternoon, Sakiko's face smeared with filth, twisted with shame.
If it were voluntary, why would she look like that?
If it were for money, why was she so terrified upon seeing her?
"You're lying, Sakiko."
Soyo lifted her head, staring in the direction the car had disappeared. The confusion and pain in her eyes were slowly replaced by a terrifying darkness.
Anger from being deceived. Persistence born from seeing through the lie.
"So that's how it is…"
She laughed softly, the smile warped under the streetlight.
"If you were forced, if you're doing it for money…"
"Then as long as I destroy that man, as long as I ruin him…"
"As long as I gain that kind of power…"
"I can save you."
She turned toward the brightly lit building.
The place where Sakiko suffered.
"Wait for me, Sakiko."
Soyo took out her phone and found the number of a newspaper known for exposing powerful figures' secrets.
She would use public opinion to force Seiji to give Sakiko up.
…
…
Late autumn in Tokyo. The sky was a clear, transparent blue.
Sunlight filtered through thin clouds, falling on the century-old red brick walls of Tsukinomori Girls' Academy.
The school was like a massive greenhouse, sealing off all the noise and dust of the outside world.
The air carried the scent of black tea and old books. Laughter echoed among the hedges.
Lunch break. Benches in the courtyard.
Soyo wore a dark blue blazer uniform, her smooth flaxen hair swaying gently in the breeze. Head lowered, she held a stack of student council documents, surrounded by classmates.
"Soyo-senpai, the snack list for the tea party is confirmed. Could you check if anything needs adjusting?"
"Soyo-senpai, I'm really worried about the next math test. Could you go over the key points with me again?"
"Soyo, the brass band said…"
She answered every request with patience, her smile never faltering.
She looked up, amber eyes full of warmth, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze. "All right, we'll go with that snack list. Remember to pair it with Earl Grey. For math, I'm free after school, meet me in the music room. As for the brass band…"
That comforting, almost maternal presence made her the undeniable star of the school.
She was the perfect honor student, a core member of the student council, someone everyone relied on.
"Soyo really is amazing."
"Yeah, no matter how busy she is, everything's always in order, and she never loses her temper."
"I wish I could be like Soyo-senpai."
Praise flowed endlessly.
Soyo smiled and lowered her head, hiding the flash of darkness in her eyes behind a sip of tea.
It was just a persona.
In reality, her heart was already scorched earth, and her mind was haunted by that obscene afternoon.
"Soyo, you look kind of tired lately."
A classmate looked at her with concern. "You've got dark circles."
Her fingers stiffened for a moment before she casually set the teacup down. "It's nothing. Mom's been busy at work, and I've been helping out at home. I've just been sleeping a bit late."
"Wow, Soyo is such a devoted daughter."
The others sighed in admiration again.
She kept smiling as the self-mockery in her heart grew louder.
Devoted?
Yes, she was devoted.
Devoted enough to protect her mother's fake dream of being a workplace elite, to personally stand guard outside that hellish office, listening to her best friend make those… those nauseating sounds inside.
That smell.
The sickly stench mixed with the cloying sweetness of Sakiko's body felt like it had seeped into her pores.
No matter how much soap she used, no matter how hard she scrubbed, the filth clung to her.
"Excuse me, I need to go to the old school building."
She rose gracefully, smoothing a skirt that wasn't even wrinkled. "I still have something to take care of."
"All right, see you later, Soyo-senpai!"
Under everyone's gaze, she maintained that elegant, composed stride across the courtyard toward the old building.
Only after turning the corner, sure no one was watching, did her smile collapse like a mask with its support kicked away.
In its place was a face filled with exhaustion, anxiety, and deep obsession.
…
Old school building.
Music room.
Click.
Soyo locked the door, then drew the heavy velvet curtains, cutting off the glaring afternoon sunlight.
Only in this dimness could she finally breathe.